Direction-indicator



J. W. PATTERSON.

DIRECTION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED IIIAR. I4. I9I7.

1,358,783. Patented Sept. 21, 1920.

INVENTOH hmW. Patter $014 ATTORNEY .FFlCE.

JOHN w. PATTERSON, F ME1VIPHIS, TENNESSEE.

DIRECTION-INDICATOR. I 1

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 21, 1920,

Application filed March 14, 1917. Serial No. 154,829.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. PATTERSON, a citizen of the United States, residin at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and ate of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Direction-Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in direction indicators, and it consists in the constructions, combinations, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a direction indicator including figures adapted to be mounted upon the front and rear ends of an automobile, said figures having movable arms which are adapted to be electrically operated to indicate the course the driver intends to take."

Another object of my invention is to provide a direction indicator including figures adapted to be mounted upon the front and rear ends of automobiles said figures having motor actuated arms and translucent hands adapted to be illuminated simultaneously as the arms are moved. Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described including certain switch mechanisms wherebythe movable arm of the figures may be actuated either singularly, simultaneously, and illuminated at will. 1

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a rear elevation of one of the figures, a portion thereof being broken awa to illustrate the interior mechanism. F1g. 2 is a detail elevation showin the cross head operating disk of one 0 the motors.

Fig. 3 is a detail section of one of the translucent hands.

Fig. 4 is a detail enlarged view of one of the electric current distributers for the removable arm, the actuating cross headbeing also indicated, and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4:. By reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings it will be observed that I employ a mechanism housing 1 which is shaped to resemble a human figure. In Fig. 1 it will be seen that the housing 1 is mounted on the hood 2 in front of an automobile and is supported thereon by means of a bracket 3 and suitable securing devices 4. In actual practice one of the figures will be mounted upon the rear end of the automobile as well as upon the front end so that when the movable arms of the figures are actuated persons both at the front and rear of the automobile will be duly warned of the intended course of the automobile.

The illustration of the figure at the rear of the machine is not illustrated since it will be substantially like that illustrated in he arms 5 and 6 are fulcrumed on the body of the figure as at 7 as shown in Fig. 4. The arms 5 and 6 are further provided with hands 8 and 8'respectively which are constructed of translucent material so that when they are illuminated the motions of the respective arms 5 and 6 will be easily 1 followed.

The hands 8 and 8' are illuminated by incandescent lamps 9 and 9' which are detachably mounted in sockets 10 supported in the respective arms in any suitable manner.

As shown in Fig. 3 the hands'8 and 8 are I Current strips are provided at each of the respective current distributing arms 11 and 12, the current strips 16 bein supported supportedupon insulating mountings 17 within the body of the housing 1 in any suitable manner. Current is supplied to the I respective arcuate strips 16 from 'a battery 18, the current from .the battery 18 flows to the said strips 16 over wire 19 and returns through the wire 21 and 22. The current from the respective strips 16 and 20 returns to the battery 18 over wires 21 and 22 respectively and through the segments 37 and '36 and through the switch 40. The respective arms 5 and 6 are arcuated through the medium of slidable cross heads 23 and 24 respectively which are connected to the extension 11 and 12 of the respective current distributing arms 11 and 12 through the medium of the link 25.

The cross heads 23 and 24 respectively are actuated by connecting rods 26 and 27 which are 'pivotally connected to the crank disks 28 and 29 of the respective motors 30 and 31.

If the operator intends to turn to the right, he then swings the switch 40 into engagement with the contact 37. Current will then pass from the battery 18 over conductor 34: to motor 30. The current then returns from motor 30 over conductor 35 to the segment 37 and thence over the switch t0 the battery '18. This action causes the motor to operate for swinging the al'lIlS Of I bod T lliLVlIl 2L recessed shoulder a movable the figure at the front of the vehicle.

At the time the switch 40 is closed, current from conductor 34 will pass over the wire 19 and thence over the strip l6'and conductor 13 to the lamp 9, the current will return from the strip 16 of the lamp 9 over conductor 21 to the conductor 35, thus causing the lamp 9 to be illuminated.

If on the other hand, the chauffeur intends to turn to the left the switch 40 is swung so as to engage the segment 36. The current from the battery 18 passes over conductor 34 to motor 31. The current returns from motor 31 over conductor 35, to the segment 36, thence over the switch 40 to the battery. This causes the motor 31 to be opleirated for oscillating the left arm of the gure.

The lamp 9 is illuminated by the current passing over wire 19 to the strip 16 of the left arm and thence to the lamp to illuminate the same, the current returning over wire 22 to the conductor 35, to the segment 36 and thence over the switch 40to the battery whereby the lamp 9 will be illuminated. It is obvious that in case of an emergency, the switch 40 may be swung to engage both seen that by having the switch 10 out of contact with-the segments 37 and 36, the arms 5 and 6 may be in a normal condition ready for immediate operation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

A direction indicator including a hollow arm fulcrumed in the recess adapted to move in a vertical plane, a translucent hand attached to the arm, an incandescent lamp dis-posed within the hand, an arcuate dielectric block, current distributing arms secured to the movable arms having current extensions and bearing blocks movable over the dielectric block, contact strips on the dielectric block at each side thereon in engagement with the movable block, a cross-head and guide, link' connections between the cross head and the crank extensions, an actuating motor including a crank disk, link connection between the crank disk and the cross-head, a battery for actuating the motor and the incandescent lamp, a movable switch arm, and switch contact adapted to be engaged by the arms for energizing the motor and the incandescent lamp simultaneously.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two'witnesses.

JOHN W. PATTERSON. Witnesses:

MYRTLE SLAUGHTER, W. M. AIKEN. 

